Volume 1, Chapter 63: All the Brothers Have Become Officials

Is there really a possibility that the Rong tribe and Northern Yan will join forces once again?

Of course, it is entirely possible!

In the grand game of the world, shifting alliances and strategies have always been driven purely by interests. Once the high-ranking officials of both sides meet again and engage in a simple confrontation, the truth behind the poisoning of the Khan will likely come to light. By then, all hidden plots and calculations will be exposed to the glaring light of day.

A chill ran through Su Ying's heart, and she asked urgently, "Then... what should we do? If they unite again, we will be in grave danger."

Heh!

Zhang Muyang did not answer directly. Instead, he turned his gaze to Bai Zhi, who was standing quietly nearby.

Bai Zhi's expression was cold and detached, yet her tone carried absolute certainty. "Rest assured. The poison administered to the Khan is a secret imperial formula concocted exclusively by my grandfather. Even if the people of Northern Yan possess the capability to cure it... they simply do not have the time. Therefore, if the Rong people still wish to keep their Khan alive, they have no choice but to cooperate with us obediently. They have no other option."

"Indeed! This is an open conspiracy!"

"Even if they harbor suspicions in their hearts and secretly test the waters by contacting Northern Yan, they would never dare to gamble with the Khan's life. They cannot afford to take that risk."

A fierce and sharp glint flashed across Zhang Muyang's eyes. He said coldly, "To take a step back, if the Rong tribe is truly foolish enough to choose cooperation with Northern Yan once more and betray the alliance... then we will simply execute a decisive strike, find a way to sneak into the Northern Yan camp, and seize the opportunity to slaughter Helian Chunshui! That will completely sever any possibility of peace talks between them."

This strategy was vicious to the extreme!

Originally, the Emperor of Yan had publicly betrothed the Princess to the Khan, yet Helian Chunshui had stubbornly inserted himself into the middle of it. For the Khan and the entire Rong tribe, this was an unbearable humiliation.

Any man or nation with a shred of pride could never swallow such an insult!

Not to mention the fact that the Khan had been struck by a poisoned arrow precisely because of Helian Chunshui.

This was an irreconcilable blood feud!

All Zhang Muyang needed to do was add fuel to the fire, maximizing and exposing the already irreconcilable grievances between the two sides so that there would be no room left for reversal.

Of course, under the current circumstances, the possibility of the two sides cooperating again was extremely slim. However... Zhang Muyang could not afford to drop his guard and fail to prepare in advance. With a burning gaze, he declared, "Those who rely on mountains will see them crumble, and those who rely on rivers will see them flow away! Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun! Only by building our own military force can we secure the most reliable guarantee!"

"What is the barrel of a gun?" Su Ying asked, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Uh, well... it means swords and blades!"

Zhang Muyang chuckled awkwardly and asked, "We are now in urgent need of more men and a more loyal core team. It is time to return to Zhang Family Village. That is our roots. Are you... willing to go back with me?"

That was stating the obvious!

A dutiful wife follows her husband wherever he goes! Besides, the man she married was Zhang Muyang, a towering hero who could stand between heaven and earth.

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Ying replied decisively, "I am your wife. Naturally, wherever you go, I will follow. Even if one day we must stand against the entire world, I, Su Ying, will never take half a step back!"

Deeply moved, Zhang Muyang turned his gaze to Bai Zhi. "Bai Zhi, what about you? This journey might not be peaceful."

Biting her lower lip tightly, Bai Zhi nodded and said, "Before my father passed away, he entrusted me to you. You are my only reliance in this world, so naturally, I will follow you."

"Good! Excellent! There is no time to lose; let us set off immediately!"

Emerging from the barracks, the three of them sought out Wu Kexiong.

At that moment, Wu Kexiong, together with Chen Xiucheng, Fan Zhong, and several other core military commanders, was seated in a circle discussing military intelligence. Everyone's brows were tightly locked, and the atmosphere inside the tent was oppressive. The dual threats of Northern Yan and the Rong tribe weighed upon everyone's hearts like two massive mountains, making even breathing feel heavy.

"Muyang?"

Wu Kexiong and the others stood up as one and asked, "Didn't you go to rest? Why have you come back here?"

Cupping his fists in a salute, Zhang Muyang spoke with a solemn expression, "Deputy Commander, after pondering deeply for a long time, I realized that our manpower is still far too scarce. Facing a full-scale offensive from either Northern Yan or the Rong tribe, we will struggle to hold out for long. Our most urgent task is to levy troops immediately and expand our strength!"

"Levy troops?" Wu Kexiong was taken aback.

"Correct!" Zhang Muyang said with a firm tone, "I request permission to return to Sifang County immediately to recruit new soldiers to the best of my ability! Even if the new recruits cannot form combat effectiveness right away, we should begin training them as soon as possible to prepare for any eventualities!"

"That reasoning is sound, but a major battle is on the verge of breaking out. If you leave now, the army..."

Wu Kexiong left the sentence unfinished, but his meaning was clear: without Zhang Muyang as their backbone, he, Fan Zhong, and the others truly lacked confidence in their hearts.

Zhang Muyang smiled and said, "Rest assured, Deputy Commander, we will make a swift round trip and return within two or three days at the most! The Northern Yan elite cavalry need time to assemble and march; they cannot launch a total offensive within these two or three days. This is precisely our window of opportunity to expand our strength."

"Very well! We shall do as you say!"

Gazing into Zhang Muyang's confident eyes, Wu Kexiong gritted his teeth abruptly, straightened his posture, and commanded in a booming voice, "Zhang Muyang, hear my order!"

Zhang Muyang immediately dropped to one knee. "Subordinate is here!"

"For mediating between Northern Yan and the Rong tribe with both wisdom and bravery, you have rendered an unprecedented and extraordinary service! I hereby promote you to the rank of Captain, commanding a hundred men! All other Zhang Family Village youths who contributed to this victory shall be promoted by one rank. As for all military pay and rewards, once the war concludes, I shall report them to the imperial court collectively and request merits for you all!"

"Thank you, Deputy Commander, for your cultivation! This subordinate will surely do his utmost and live up to your high expectations!"

Cupping his fists to accept the order, Zhang Muyang's voice rang out with resounding force.

In a military characterized by rigid hierarchies, such a promotion speed was nothing short of a rocket launch, yet no one could raise any objections because every single merit had been earned through sheer bloodshed on the battlefield.

When the news spread, Zhang Xiaobei, Gousheng, and the rest of the youths from Zhang Family Village rushed over in great excitement.

Each of them had undergone a complete transformation, having been promoted to squad leaders, platoon leaders, and centurions... How long had it been? They had leaped from raw recruits into the backbone of the grassroots military force—something they would not have dared to dream of in the past. Joy and pride beamed from every single one of their faces.

Wu Kexiong even ordered five hundred taels of silver to be brought out and handed solemnly to Zhang Muyang. "Muyang, take this silver as your dedicated recruitment fund. Be sure to use it where it counts the most! The future of our Sifang County reinforcements and whether we can grow stronger depends entirely on you!"

"This subordinate will not fail the mission!" Zhang Muyang accepted the heavy pouch of silver, feeling the responsibility on his shoulders grow even heavier.

"Go quickly and return soon! The army needs you!" Wu Kexiong patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"Yes!"

Zhang Muyang was clad in the profound-light armor captured from Zhou Tong, which gleamed with a cold, dark luster under the sunlight.

Zhang Xiaobei, Gousheng, and the others had also donned brand-new dark-iron armor and scale-pattern armor... Thanks to their previous victories, there was no shortage of armor and weapons in the camp.

Fully armed and with two horses per person, the group surged out of the Huqiu encampment like a whirlwind of steel, quickly disappearing into the boundless night.

Clippity-clop!

The horses rested while the men did not, galloping forward through successive relays.

As the sky began to grow pale with dawn, they finally arrived beneath the city walls of Sifang County.

From afar, the garrison guards on the city walls caught sight of a troop of armored, murderous, and wind-swift cavalry charging toward them. Terrified, their complexions shifted drastically, assuming it was an elite surprise attack by Northern Yan or the Rong tribe, and they hurriedly slammed the city gates shut.

The commoners beneath the city walls panicked even more, scattering in all directions like startled birds amidst a chorus of weeping and shouting.

Having ridden hard throughout the night, Zhang Muyang and his men had thick layers of white frost caked onto their bodies, eyebrows, and beards, making them look like snowmen whose faces were completely obscured. It was no wonder the guards failed to recognize them.

"I am Zhang Muyang, Captain of Sifang County! Open the gates at once!" Zhang Muyang reined in his warhorse, gathered his inner breath, and roared toward the ramparts.

"Zhang Muyang?"

Hearing the voice and looking closer to identify him, the guards instantly grew excited. "It's Captain Zhang! Our hero has returned! Open the city gates! Open the city gates!"

In Sifang County now, who did not know of Zhang Muyang?

From achieving an overwhelming victory with inferior numbers at Hufeng Pass and crushing the Blood Wolf Cavalry, to devising consecutive brilliant strategies at the Huqiu encampment... one victory report after another had long since spread throughout the county.

From officials down to commoners, almost everyone knew the great name of Zhang Muyang!

And all of this had happened in the span of a little over a month.

The emaciated, sickly youth of the past had unexpectedly risen to the rank of a Captain commanding a hundred men, becoming a figure of real authority within the military.

As for the fellow villagers behind him, they too had shed their old selves completely to become military officers. Not a trace of the raw recruit remained; they cut the imposing figure of an elite squad.

The news spread like the wind.

When Zhang Muyang and his party slowly rode into the city, the commoners lining both sides of the street stopped in their tracks to watch, their gazes filled with adoration, envy, and deep reverence.

Zhang Muyang continuously waved to the crowds on both sides. Feeling the scorching gazes fixed upon him, deep emotion stirred within his heart.

This feeling... felt somewhat akin to a senior leader inspecting work, didn't it?

He was just a hair's breadth away from shouting, "Hello, comrades! Comrades, you've worked hard!"